In a new blog, PhD student Joanne Brown discusses preliminary findings from her ongoing research. Her study is exploring the lived experiences of welfare support and sanctions for people receiving Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

Welfare advisers implement policy at the ground level, but to what extent does this affect the way policy is shaped? Initial interviews with ESA recipients have indicated that two factors are relevant. Both the approach of the adviser and the constraints they work within can influence the way in which a welfare claimant engages or disengages with back-to-work support. Read the full article